Nightmares
by brit-lovaas
Summary: Late one night, James Sunderland finds himself caught up in a dark nightmare. When he wakes up, he is surprised to find comfort from an unexpected person. Oneshot. Takes place sometime after the "Leave" ending.


**(·.·´·. ¸.·;Nightmares·.¸.·´·.·´)**

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_"__No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another."_

_-Unknown_

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_Through thick fog and past horrid monsters, James ran. Sounds of demonic whispers filled his mind as a familiar voice called out to him, egging him on to end it all, to get what he deserved. _

_Monsters lashed out at him. Sometimes they were able to land a hit, throwing him to the cold hard ground. He'd stumble to get to his feet, his body shaking and his mind racing. Moving forward, James ran for a few more feet before looking over his shoulder to check if he was being followed._

_His foot reached out to take a step that wasn't there, and his body fell forward, his stomach turning. It was a long fall, and all he could see was a faint silver glow above him before he broke through water's surface, the contact burning against any exposed skin._

_Suddenly he was under water, thrashing about as he tried to swim to the water's surface, but an unknown force held him down. With every inch he managed to swim up, he would then fall down another foot. _

_Water seeped into his lungs, and every mouthful of water that he swallowed began to burn. His vision blurred as he was dragged further down the lake, the surface's light fading away. His body became cold and numb as he fell further under._

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James stirred in his sleep, thrashing from side to side in a cold sweat as his nightmare raged on. Occasionally mumbles slipped past his mouth, and once did a scream break free.

It was the middle of the night when James' bedroom door creaked open, spilling golden light into the dark room. The figure's head peaked into the bedroom, observing the sleeping man.

The figure stepped forward from out behind the door, peering further into the dark space. There was a moment of hesitation before tiny feet began to walk forward, slowly making their way to the bed.

"James?" a small voice called out.

His mumbles became clearer, and words such as "help" and "sorry" were repeatedly spoken. A small hand began to reach forward towards the man's forehead, but when his eyes shot open, the hand retracted.

His breaths came in quick short burst as he tried to calm down. Drops of sweat dripped down his temples and neck. His shirt clung to his chest, which rose and fell with each pant. Soon he had managed to calm down, a final long sigh slipping past his lips.

James froze for a moment before looking over to his side. Laura, in her pink striped nightgown, was standing at his side, her blue eyes studying him.

"Laura? What are you doing up?" His voice was raspy, and his throat felt raw. "It's way past your bedtime."

"I heard you screaming." That would explain his sore throat, James thought. "Were you having a bad dream?"

James had sat up, resting on the headboard of the bed. He was just about to tell her everything was alright and that she should go back to bed, but he hesitated. She wouldn't just take that explanation and leave him be. She was too smart for that, and he couldn't lie to her.

He gave her a meek nod. "Yes, I was. . ."

James didn't want to go into detail about it, mostly because it brought back too many painful memories, so he left his answer at that. He had hoped this would satisfy the girl enough to go back to bed, be she didn't budge from her spot next to the bed. Her gaze remained on him as she thought.

After a moment, Laura asked, "Could I sleep with you tonight?"

James was caught off guard for a moment, never having heard her ask the question before. Even when Laura had nightmares she would insist that she was fine and would continue to sleep in her own bed. She often liked to handle things on her own.

So then. . . was she doing this for his own sake?

Scooting over, James smiled and patted the bed lightly. Laura hopped up to the side of the bed, a teddy bear which James had yet to notice in her arms, and plopped down onto her back. James soon join her, resting on his side, facing towards her.

He pulled the sheets up to cover them both before closing his eyes and blocking his mind off from any unpleasant thoughts. Just as he was beginning to feel the sweet numbing of sleep take over him, a warm soft pressure was pressed against him.

Opening his eyes, James saw that Laura was snuggled up against his side, sound asleep.

He knew he would never be able to completely forget all the horrors of his past, but if it could be forgotten for only a moment, then he was content, and he was happy.

James wrapped his arms around the small girl before falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.

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_The End_

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**A/N: **The "Leave" ending was my first SH2 ending, and is my personal favorite, but I usually do favor the more cheery endings from the series. I guess this could be another headcanon of mine of what happens at the end of a Silent Hill game. I mainly just want James to be happy because he deserves it and I always like to imagine the relation ship he'd have with Laura. I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought and if I made any errors.


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